Palin focuses on economy during visit to Ohio town

ST. CLAIRSVILLE, Ohio – Sarah Palin told voters yesterday in southeastern Ohio that she and running mate John McCain would bring jobs back to this economically depressed piece of Appalachia.

Using her folksy appeal, the Republican Alaska governor highlighted her record as mayor of a city about the size of small St. Clairsville, near the West Virginia border. Palin said Democratic rival Barack Obama doesn't understand places like this.

“I love 'Small Town USA' because hardworking, good American (families), you guys, you just get it,” Palin said while standing on a stage with an open barn as her backdrop.

“It's kind of like those simple lessons our parents used to teach us: Don't spend more than you have,” Palin said. “It's that common-sense conservatism that is John McCain. . . . Americans just cannot afford another big spender in the White House.”

McCain and Palin have toned down their attacks on Obama. On Oct. 6, Palin said Obama was “palling around with terrorists.” On Friday, after voters at campaign rallies shouted “terrorist” and “off with his head” toward the stage, McCain called Obama “a decent family man” whom the public shouldn't fear and cut off a woman who called him an Arab.

It appears character attacks are now out of Palin's stump speech, as the economy has become the issue on which this election will be decided.

“All across America, I know that there's a lot of anger right now,” Palin said. “There's anger about the insider dealing of lobbyists. And anger at the greed of Wall Street. And anger about the arrogance of the Washington elite.”